Doubles

Robert (Bob) F. Brodsky, PhD, PhD          Pat Brodsky
B 5/16/1925 - March 29, 2016                    B 7/29/1932 - March 30, 2016

Bob and Pat died within a day of each other and I hadn't even known Pat was sick enough to die!

Here's what Bob's daughter told me.  Bob had been in the hospital for 10 days, recovering from double pneumonia.  When he flunked the Ability To Swallow Test, and was told he would need a feeding tube for the rest of his days (age 90, probably not many of them) he elected to undergo hospice treatment at home. 

Pat was said to be "coughing a lot" and the daughter later said that when Bob came home, Pat went into a decline.  It was their mutual desire to die together.  Given Pat's dramatic proclivities (active actor in community theater productions for many years) I could just see them - Bob peacefully sinking into a coma and Pat in the other bed, screaming, "Wait for me!  Wait for me, dammit!"

We've all been close friends for at least 20 years, so pardon my informality above.  We laughed almost continuously during our times together -- so much so that right now I can only remember two specific examples...

We plus my sister and her husband were all lunching at Nelson's, Terrenea resort.  My sister and Bob were mutually delighted that they both shared Chicago experiences.  Bob did Navy boot camp at the Great Lakes facility.  Pat, who had been remarkably quiet suddenly said, pensively, "That's where Bob lost his virginity."  We exploded with laughter!

A dinner at our house - Bob and Pat, "Raffish," MD and us.  To perk up the conversation, I asked Raffish if he'd been a member of the Donner Party, what part of the human body would he eat? (gasps from the rest of them.)

Raffish thought (nothing phases him) and said, "Probably the ribs -not a lot of muscle there."

At that Pat, reached over and patted Bob on the ribs and said he better watch it; he would be first to go, teasing him about his well-covered ribs.

Bob chuckled, patted his own ribs and said, "Aged!" and thought for a second and added, "Well-marbled!"

This is the kind gathering we will miss.  Literally, a laugh a minute.

NOTE: the double PhDs after Bob's name are not an error.  He had double degrees and Pat said at faculty functions, wives were addressed as "Mrs. Doctor (last name.)"  I asked if they addressed her as Mrs. Doctor, Doctor Brodsky and she said they did!  And we howled at the ridiculousness. 

I like to think of them laughing together again.  RIP.